The Destiny of Darkness
by SquintandProud-x
Summary: After losing her mom at the tender age of five, Buffy is thrown into a whole different world. A world where vampires exist. On a quest to find her mom's killer, she finds herself doing something she swore she never would: falling in love with a vampire.
1. The Beginning Of The End

_**SUMMERY: **After loosing her mom at the tender age of five, Buffy is thrown into a whole different world. A world where vampires exist. A world where even the most creative fairytale creatures do in fact exist. On a quest to find her mom's killer, she finds herself doing something she swore she never would: falling in love with a vampire._

* * *

The little girl spun around and around.

She was lost. Scared. Close to tears.

She had been walking in the forest with her Mommy, as they always did on Sunday mornings to tackle the boredom that the daytime held, and they had been talking about her school when her Mommy had vanished. She had been so keen on telling her story about the teacher spilling paint down her dress that she hadn't realised her Mommy wasn't by her side anymore. As soon as she finished, she was merely greeted by a thick silence that enclosed the creepy woods instead of the soft sound of her Mom's voice as she had been expecting.

'Mommy?' whispered Buffy as she came to a halt.

Hot tears stung at the five year olds eyes.

'Mommy, I'm scared – please stop playing hide and seek,' Buffy begged.

The trees towered over the small girl, where she stood helplessly looking around, and every single feature that had once made the woods magical to Buffy now seemed haunting. The sun was high in the sky, however the trees seemed to block out any light that dared shine down on the misty forest.

The forest had been a special place where Buffy's Father, Hank, had first taken her Mother on a date. He had apparently found forests so mystical and full depth that he had wanted to share the beautiful place with the first love of his life. Joyce had been impressed with the forest, understanding why Hank had seen so much beauty within it. Years later after Buffy had been born; they had pushed the stroller through here every single day to give Buffy some air. And as she grew, and after her Father had died, Joyce continued to bring her daughter to the sacred place that had captured her heart.

Except now it didn't seem so sacred anymore.

Buffy was such a small girl in such a large world. It seemed unfair of the high heavens to torture her in such a way. After all, she was only a child who wanted her Mother.

'Mommy?' she said once again, her voice breaking slightly.

She glanced behind her, only to be greeted by the trees, before turning her head to survey ahead of her.

'Mommy always told me to be strong,' Buffy mumbled to herself.

She was only five years old, still learning about the world around her, though it didn't seem as though she only had five years experience of life – she was wise beyond her years. The blondes head lifted up high as she marched through the forest, calling her Mothers name every now and again. She was desperate to find her Mommy and return home before lunch time.

As Buffy descended further in the woods, she found that her Mom was still nowhere in sight. She had expected to find her hiding behind a tree and to jump out when she walked past, laughing when she startled her. However, she had no such luck. She was only five and she was lost in the huge forest. She didn't know how to get back now.

She was scared.

Suddenly, she spotted two people in between the trees. She began to run over, stumbling slightly over the rough surface. As Buffy toddled closer to the two people, she noticed that one was unmoving on the floor and the other was hovering above her. She stopped in her tracks.

Buffy knew who the person on the floor was. She would know that face, that hair, the glowing aura around her from anywhere.

'Mommy?' she whispered quietly.

The other persons head snapped up as soon as the word left her mouth.

A scarlet liquid was smeared across his lips, dripping from his teeth, as his black as coal eyes examined her. His lip curled back, his fangs exposed. Buffy just thought his face was all scrunched up and ugly, though she didn't know that she had stumbled across a vampire. A _very _hungry vampire. He rose to his feet, a snarl slipping between his teeth, as he took a step towards Buffy.

Buffy, immediately realising that he wasn't friendly, took a step backwards, tears brimming in her eyes.

'I just want my Mommy,' she said loudly. 'Can I take her home, please? I think she's fallen asleep.'

An amused laugh echoed around the forest as the vampire took another step towards her, his fingers twitching in anticipation.

'Don't worry, little child, you shall soon be joining her,' he snarled.

He crouched, ready to spring.

'Over my dead body,' hissed another voice.

And suddenly, from out of nowhere, appeared another man. He dived on the crouched vampire, knocking him over, and began to punch every single part of the vampire's body. As they fought, neither of them was aware of the five year old girl watching them with tears streaming down her face. Buffy ran around them, keeping out of their way and wobbled over to her Mom, who hadn't moved an inch since Buffy had first lay eyes on her.

'Mommy … Mommy … Mommy, why you bleeding?' questioned Buffy.

Her tiny fingers lingered on her Mom's neck, watching as the bright red liquid stained her fingers. Her Mom didn't move, nor did she talk back to her.

'Mommy I want to go home,' said Buffy.

She heard a grunt behind her.

She turned her head to see the brown haired man rip off a ring on the black-eyed mans finger. Before Buffy could register anything, the man froze and then suddenly turned into a pile of ashes as the sunlight poked through a clearing in the surrounding trees.

Buffy screamed.

The brown haired man's head shot up as he realised that she had been watching. He quickly shoved the ring into the pocket of his jacket and jogged over to Buffy, putting his hands up defensively.

'Hey, I'm not going to hurt you,' he said as Buffy stumbled away from him.

'Who are you?' asked Buffy bluntly.

'I'm Angel,' the man answered, smiling at the child's straightforwardness.

Buffy smiled for a moment. 'That's a pretty name.'

Angel returned the smile, approaching closer to her. 'Thank you. What's your name?'

'My name is Buffy … I don't like it very much,' Buffy replied honestly.

Angel let out a low chuckle, enjoying the honesty and humour of the blonde child. He had never seen any human act so naturally around him, though he was aware that it was because she was only young and probably had no idea that she was in fact talking to a vampire herself.

'Buffy … I like that name,' said Angel.

Buffy smiled up delightedly at the stranger, evidently pleased that he liked her name, however she soon turned back to her Mom, kneeling down besides her and taking her hand.

'Why won't my Mommy wake up?' asked Buffy, looking up at Angel with tearful eyes.

If Angel's heart had been beating, it would have broken. He was aware, unlike Buffy, that her Mother was dead and gone. He felt pity for the young child that was now hugging into her Mom's side, whispering in her ear for her to wake up so they could go home. Because he knew that her Mother was far from home. He also knew that the child would be left alone and defenceless, motherless as well. It was a cruel life.

He bent down on his knees besides the girl, who surprisingly didn't jump away from his closeness, and bent over. As expected, the woman's neck was covered in a sticky scarlet substance. He knew if he wiped away the blood then two punctured marks would be in the side of her neck. Angel cursed himself for not getting their fast enough, for being unable to save the young girls Mother, for not killing that pathetic excuse of the un-dead sooner.

'Was it a monster that put my mommy to sleep?' said Buffy, looking up at him.

'Erm … yeah,' Angel answered, deciding honesty was the best way.

'I don't like monsters,' croaked Buffy.

And Buffy, the young five year old, sat with her Mom for another hour, holding her hand and asking her Mom to wake up for her. Unbeknown to the small child that her Mommy had gone somewhere that she would never be able to reach her again.

And so the harshness of life began …


	2. Blast From The Past

_**TWELVE YEARS LATER …**_

At the age of five, when everything was supposed to be about pretty colours and rainbows, Buffy had lost her life. True, she wasn't dead – though she felt close to it. Her Mother had been killed, her Father had died shortly after her birth and no other family member would happily claim her. Buffy was left alone and vulnerable. And even at that tender age, she knew that she would have to make herself strong and hard. She knew that she couldn't care for anybody, trust anybody else, or rely on anybody. Because Buffy knew that nobody could protect her. Not even her Mom had been able to do that. She knew she had to protect herself.

Buffy had to learn how to fight …

* * *

She stood at the entrance of the crypt, spinning a wooden stake between her fingers, as she hummed a soft melody. The bright light from the crescent shaped moon shone down on Buffy's face, illuminating her hazel eyes. The graveyard was mute, not even a passing car on the road could be heard, except from the gentle hum escaping the young woman's lips. She let her eyes wander across the many gravestones. Buffy knew this graveyard inside out, knew almost every graveyard, as her life had revolved around this world for almost twelve years now.

Ever since the day Buffy had lost her Mom, she had been introduced into a different world. A world where she didn't belong. A world that she had forced herself to become a part of so she could destroy it. A world where every single mystical creature and beast - along with so much more that had never been recorded in fairytales - existed. And this was the world that Buffy had been fighting against since the death of her mother.

The soft melody died on Buffy's lips as she noticed something shifting in the distance from the corner of her eye. She straightened up, the grip on the wooden stake tightening, as she allowed her eyes to swivel to enclose the movement across the graveyard.

The moment she laid her eyes upon him, she knew. The vampires were, as the myths said, deathly pale. This was one way to notice them, although Buffy had strolled upon some quite awfully pale mortals as well and had frightened them slightly when she whipped her stake out to stab them. Unlike some movies that had portrayed them, vampires had usual coloured eyes like everyone else – even though some people, thanks to Hollywood, believed they had black, golden or scarlet eyes. The only thing that made a vampire noticeable was that they tried so hard to fit in with the rest of society. Take the vampire that was creeping across the graveyard now for instance – he was wearing bright blue and orange Hawaiian shorts, a white tank top and a pair of black converse. Who wore Hawaiian shorts at night to a graveyard in this freezing weather? Sometimes vampire's attempts to fit in were totally all wrong.

Buffy rolled around the corner of the crypt, concealing her from the view of the vampire, and climbed over the fence leading her out of the cemetery. The vampire was near the entrance of the graveyard and, if she was quick enough, she would be able to surprise him from behind without him ever even seeing her.

Thankfully, as though fate had intervened, the vampire's shoe laces fell undone. Buffy heard him sigh irately, cursing anything and everything to do with the human race, as he bent down on one knee to retie his laces. Buffy smirked happily, sending a mental thank you to the high heavens. And then suddenly, as quick as a hare running through long grass, she had dived across the graveyard, stake in hand. Buffy's own converse sneakers connected with the vampires behind, resulting in him toppling forward and smashing his head on the damp grass.

"What the fuck-"

The vampire jumped up. His face was now dishevelled into his "game face" as Buffy called them – it was where there face shifted from the smooth, normal looking human face to the bumpy, unattractive face of a vampire. The vampire snarled at Buffy, who merely smiled widely at him and gave him a wave. A smile flittered across his face, making it look even more horrible to look at, as his tongue slid across his teeth. He obviously thought Buffy was dinner.

As he took a step forward, she took one back.

"Aw, don't be like that," the vampire grinned.

"Oh yeah, 'cause I should just stand there and let you eat me," Buffy retorted, rolling her eyes.

"You're right, you should."

The vampire clutched Buffy's neck with his right hand and bent it to the side, revealing her neck. He ran his fingers down her throat before raising them to his mouth and licking them. His mouth watered as the scent of the girl tingled his taste buds. His eyes bulged as he zoomed in on her neck.

"Bored now," Buffy suddenly said.

She kicked his legs out from under him and, just as she had expected, the vampire pulled her to the floor with him. She lay on top of him, straddling him on either side, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Buffy pulled out the stake from her back pocket and spun it in her fingers, giving the vampire a little wink. He gasped, his eyes widening as she rolled the stake along his chest.

"You. You … you're the one … you're the one that-"

"Kills vampires? Uh huh. Wow, I didn't know I was famous," Buffy smirked in amusement.

"Please, I beg you … spare me," the vampire begged, his face returning to its normal form.

At first, when Buffy was new to the whole slaying and killing vampires, she found it difficult to stake vampires when they didn't have their game faces on. She found it hard to differentiate between the human they had once been and the monster they now were. Except, whenever she came close to sparing a vampire, she would remember the reason why she went home to an empty flat each night. The reason why she had grown up without any guidance and why there was no one there to hold her at night and soothe her when she was scared. The reason why she had to clean the horrible coloured blood from demons out of her own clothes and why she had to attend to the cuts and bruises on her body without any assistance or sympathy. Vampires had killed her Mother. Vampires had taken away her whole life before it even started.

"And why would I spare your pathetic existence?" Buffy spat.

She raised the stake and stabbed in directly into the vampires' chest. Her anger had gotten the better of her – she knew that - though Buffy wouldn't regret killing the vampire. A few moments later, she was sat upon a pile of dust.

Suddenly, a round of applause broke the silence that circled the graveyard.

Buffy jumped up to her feet, the stake clutched tightly in her hand. She hadn't known there was someone else present in the graveyard until her eyes fell upon a man stood a few metres away, clapping his hands with an amused smile. Buffy jumped up onto her feet, tightening her grip around the stake in her hand. Her first thought was on the beauty of the man, how his brown eyes shimmered in the moonlight … her second thought was wondering why he seemed so familiar to her … and her final thought, which had her raising her stake in the air with a fierce look in her eyes, was the realization that he was in fact a vampire.

The man held up his long white hands in a defensive pose as he took a retreating step from Buffy.

"Buffy Summers," he said.

Buffy instantly stopped in her place. No vampire, demon or any other mystical creature she had ever encountered had ever known her name. She was known throughout the supernatural world, however her actual name was anonymous – she was feared from the rumours that had gone round about her strength and fighting instincts, not her actual name. This vampire – the vampire that had some sort of familiarity about him - knew her name.

"How do you know my name?" Buffy questioned.

Buffy scanned over the vampire. He had the most beautiful pair of brown orbs that held a certain sparkle to them, fringed by thick eyelashes. His hair was spiked and brown, long enough for her to run her fingers through. He was tall, about six feet, and muscled. He was dressed simply in black, which illuminated his skin even more so, with his t-shirt clung to his torso.

"You don't like monsters, right?" the vampire replied, taking a step forward and lowering his hands.

Buffy's eyes widened. She could remember that day twelve years ago … when she said those words … when everything deepened and darkened in her world.

"_Was it a monster that put my mommy to sleep?" said Buffy, looking up at him._

"_Erm … yeah," Angel answered, deciding honesty was the best way._

"_I don't like monsters," croaked Buffy._

"I remember your name because I liked it … it was really something I've never heard before in all my years of existence," added the vampire.

"_Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he said as Buffy stumbled away from him._

"_Who are you?" asked Buffy bluntly._

"_I'm Angel," the man answered, smiling at the child's straightforwardness. _

_Buffy smiled for a moment. "That's a pretty name."_

_Angel returned the smile, approaching closer to her. "Thank you. What's your name?"_

"_My name is Buffy … I don't like it very much," Buffy replied honestly._

'Yeah, it's a dorky name … You're Angel, aren't you?"

Buffy let the stake fall to her side. Relaxing her grip on the wooden device that had helped her eliminate endless amounts of vampires in her time of slaying, she allowed herself to push away the natural influences that were pinching at her – this vampire had, in some way, saved her from death, how could she stake him?

"Yes, I'm surprised you remember," answered Angel, amusement evident on his pale face.

"Well, I can't say there are many vamps who have stuck around long enough to tell me their names," said Buffy.

Angel's eyes flashed to the clump of sharpened wood in her hand, eyeing it with distaste.

"I'm not going to stake you," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm just going to let your sorry little immortal ass walk out of here."

Buffy spun on her heel, pocketing her stake, and strolled back along the path towards the tall, black gates on the other side of the cemetery. She glanced at her watch; it was half eleven at night. She knew that she would be back in her warm bed, snuggled up in her pyjamas, watching a soppy movie in no less than half an hour. It was her typical night: waking up, eating, going to the gym, eating, slaying, going to bed and watching some sappy movie. Quite pathetic for a seventeen year old. Then again, as many people had proudly told her over the years, she seemed wise beyond her years …

Except that wisdom, that maturity had come at a price. Her Mother's life.

"Let me walk you home."

Buffy sighed and turned around. He wasn't there.

She spun back around and, without even flinching, flashed Angel an annoyed look as he gave her a protective glare.

"Listen … not to be rude or anythin' … but thanks for saving my life, it means a lot, but I kill your kind … I've given you the chance to walk free, please don't make me get even more dust on my new jeans," she sighed.

Without anymore words spoken, Buffy stepped around him and continued on her way home. Although, with every step of her half an hour journey, she felt as though she was being followed. Her stake remained safely in her pocket, begging for a vampire to push her enough to give them a good staking. However, whenever she spun around to check behind her, she was merely greeted with empty streets or passing cars.

* * *

Buffy sat on the edge of her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest as she studied the photo frame opposite her on the television stand. It was always the last thing she looked at before going to sleep. She knew that every human had a chance of going to sleep and never awaking, so she wanted the last thing she ever saw to be the photograph of her five year old self and her mother. It was odd, especially with how much of life she could admire before her life came to an end, though there was nothing that made her more peaceful than seeing the last picture ever photographed of her mother and herself.

"I miss you," Buffy whispered.

It seemed unfair that she had only been granted five years, sixty months, of life to spend with her own mom. She should have grown up with her mother by her side. There were so many mother/daughter moments they should have fulfilled; coming home from her first day of High School and gushing over the handsome boy who sat next to her in biology, sitting around on Sundays and watching cheesy movies, celebrating her graduation, weeping at her wedding and then congratulating her on the birth of her first child. Those moments were forever lost. And, to Buffy, it seemed so unfair.

She sighed, running her fingers through her knotted hair. Buffy contemplated getting a shower, though she knew that she had nothing to be ready for in the morning as her social life had never existed. Sometimes she liked to imagine what it would have been like if it had rained that Sunday morning, preventing her and her Mother to go out on their weekly walk through the enchanted forest, if they had taken refuge in the confines of their home. Everything could have been so different. She could have had a normal life like every other girl her age, she could have gotten friends and boyfriends without fearing they would run a mile if they knew the responsibility she put on her shoulders when the sun set.

"Stop it," Buffy demanded of herself.

She had always promised herself that she would never consider the possibilities of _what ifs _and _what could have been. _It was no use. _What ifs_ were pointless, far from reality, and Buffy tried to stay clear of her _what if_ thoughts as she refused to put herself through that emotional rollercoaster. She had come to accept life as it was, not question what could have been. However her unconscious was far from letting the subject drop as it would play out her desires as dreams. The seventeen year old would often wake up from these peaceful, fulfilling dreams and cry about them as she knew that the life she craved for would never be hers, that her dreams were only taunting her. Life was harsh like that.

Buffy ran her fingers through her knotted hair, closing her eyes to fight the tears that were trying to escape. She had to be strong, she wouldn't let herself crumble. She had a job, a responsibility, and that was to prevent anyone else from going through the same heart rendering grief that she suffered from every single hour of every single day. Buffy had to protect everyone from the vampires that threatened to kill humans, to protect other five year old girls from loosing their Mothers. She would never wish this sort of life for anyone else, not even the cruellest of people, because she barely classed it as a life. She was like an empty shell, dead to world, until the sun set and her vampire killing side booted up.

Buffy rose to her feet, swaying lightly as nausea gripped her. She stumbled over to the window. Her hands squeezed around the soft material of her curtains and, just as she was about to clamp them shut, she saw a dark figure stood opposite the road, hands in pockets staring up at her. She cocked her eyebrow, squinting her eyes as she tried to see through the darkness.

The clouds shifted, allowing the moon to shine down on the stranger. She recognized the black leather jacket first. His skin shone perfectly in the light, glowing almost. He stared up at her with his entrancing brown eyes. He rocked back and forth on his heels, his eyes never wavering from hers.

She blinked.

And Angel was gone.

* * *

**OH MY GOD! Thank you so much for every single review! It overwhelmed me how you all accepted this story within the first chapter. It means so much to a writer when people appreciate their work and I hope to continue to entrance you with the story and the romance. Thank you so much!**


	3. Invite

Angel followed Buffy home, concealed in the shadows. He wondered a few times whether she could sense his presence, especially when she repeatedly spun round, her eyes roaming over where he hid in the darkness. However she continued to peer over her shoulder the whole way home, so he decided that maybe she was just the type of girl who needed to be aware of her surroundings. Once she had arrived at her block of flats safely, he relaxed slightly. Whether she liked it or not, whether she didn't want to know him because of what he was, she was a seventeen year old girl walking home in the pitch black darkness … there were worse things out there than a starved vampire.

"Sleep tight," Angel whispered to the wind.

He crossed over the road and stood surveying her window for a moment. The block of flats didn't look too appealing, not to him anyway, nor did it look like they were built in a decent area. Angel wrinkled his nose as he scanned up and down the unattractive street. It was a vile place for such a beautiful girl to live in.

Guilt gnawed at the pit of his stomach. For the last twelve years he had blamed himself for the death of the girls' Mother. It had been his responsibility to save her and her mother, though time hadn't been on his side and he had failed his mission. Well, he didn't fail the entire mission. Angel's main purpose had been to protect the girl no matter what the cost, even if it meant sacrificing himself – though he had been promised that his demise was less than likely. Yet, if he had been able to save her Mom, he would have only bought her another three years of life. She would have still died before Buffy had hit ten years old anyway. The thought that kept him awake during the day was how special could that extra three years of time been to Buffy? It would have been an extra three years to look back on with happiness.

Angel suddenly noticed Buffy stood in her window, clutching the curtains as she peered out of the window. His eyes clashed with hers.

He knew he had to give her some time before he explained to her the reason he had came to the small town of Sunnydale. The reason why her whole life would automatically change if she accepted his offer.

* * *

Buffy barely slept that night. She found that whenever she shut her eyes and begged for slumber to wrap her in its arms, pictures of the enchanted forest with her Mom's body lying limply on the floor at her feet would portray front and centre in her mind. The sticky scarlet liquid was always trickling down her neck, staining the plain forest floor. And when Buffy would reach out and gently wipe the blood away from her fingers, she would always find two deeply punctured holes in the side of her neck. This image kept Buffy sitting up in bed, clutching her head in between her hands, and praying for a dreamless sleep.

She was physically and mentally exhausted, although sleep just dodged her.

She lay on her side, her knees tucked up into her chest, as she stared aimlessly ahead of her. Buffy couldn't help but blame Angel for her blast in the past dreams. He was there that day; he sat by her five year old self as she wept for her lost Mother. Seeing him today, looking exactly the same as that day twelve years ago, must have triggered her memory. And the past was one thing she couldn't handle. Sure, she could fight and eliminate vampires and demons and every mystical creature you could think of, however she was far from conquering her fear of the past. It had destroyed her.

When the light of the rising sun broke through the gap in her curtains, tickling her face, she decided to get up. Buffy felt dead on her feet, constantly swaying as though suffering from a bad hangover and she had almost stumbled over a few times, though she always manage to find something to grip onto before she completely lost her balance. Even though she knew she had no place to be and was aware that she could actually go back to bed to catch up on her sleep, Buffy was scared of seeing the image of her Mother's dead body curled up on the forest floor. She never wanted to see that again. But it was a desire that she knew would be eternally lost.

Buffy stripped out of her clothes, dumping them in the corner of her room, before shuffling into the bathroom lifelessly. Waiting as the water heated up, she allowed herself to gaze into the mirror.

Where had the innocence in her face gone? Where was the hope that everything would eventually work its way out? It had died. Buffy looked like an average seventeen year old girl, however her eyes had a depth to them that showed anyone who looked deep enough that she'd had it tough. Her eyes were where the fear and loneliness hid. Because Buffy Summers refused to make herself look vulnerable in any kind of way.

Her determined attitude was the main reason why no foster parents could cope with her. And, on some level, she sort of regretted for being such a stubborn child when they were only trying to care of her. But Buffy never surpassed the overwhelming grief of her Mother's death until she was finally old enough to leave the foster care system. Yet Buffy was glad that she was never fully taken in because no one would ever be able to replace her Mother and it would be too awkward for her to grow up with strangers that didn't know her – her true self.

Buffy stepped into the shower, allowing the scorching hot water pour down her body. She gratefully welcomed the relaxation that the soothing water brought, letting it wake her up into a more conscious state in order to prepare her for what was going to be an average day of wandering around the small town of Sunnydale. Buffy had long since given up looking for a job – especially as the last time she worked was at the Doublemeat Palace, which had made even her life even more unbearable – so, for now, she was just living on the large sum of money her parents had both left her. However she knew that one day the money would cease to be hers, therefore she knew that a job was on the horizon for her.

After washing her body and hair, she stepped out of the shower feeling slightly more refreshed than she had done for a while. Blood, gore and dirt were all part of the highlights of being a Vampire Slayer, though her feminine side often kicked in and she sometimes wondered why she bothered with such a job that entailed ruined clothes and god awful smells. And then she would remember that she enjoyed her job, in some strange ways, and she enjoyed making a difference.

Drying herself down, she slipped into a clean pair of underwear and pulled on a random jeans and t-shirt combo. Buffy didn't own anything designer, nor did she find the urge to care, as she was perfectly fine with wearing whatever she could afford. She could remember this one boy from her old High School named Parker who told her that she would look simply gorgeous in a bin liner. That compliment had kept her smiling for a whole week.

Suddenly remembering that she needed to make a quick visit to the corner shop in order to get some milk, she grabbed her coat, tied up her slightly damp hair, and headed out of her flat. Thankfully she only had to go down the road, through the small park and across the road. The shopkeeper, Riley, had a slight crush on her. She was able to buy anything in the store for half-price, or even free of charge if he was in a really joyful mood. Buffy occasionally felt guilty for the way he cut her slack because of his more than friendly feelings, although she wasn't the wealthiest person around and she took his kindness as a great pleasure in order to continue eating.

As she entered through the sickly green coloured gates of the park, she was greeted my small children running around, shouting and screaming in glee, as their parents huddled together over in the corner, cups of coffee in their hands as they chattered away. Also occupying the park was a few dog walkers; some running with their energetic dogs, others merely walking at a steady pace. Buffy followed the path, allowing the morning breeze to dance around her, and just as she found the other sickly green coloured gate coming into view, a large figure blocked her line of eyesight.

She looked up.

Her jaw instantly dropped as she stared with widened eyes at Angel, who was playfully smirking at her in the sunlight. He placed his long white finger under her chin and gently pushed it up to close her gaping mouth. Buffy blinked a few times, trying decide whether she was still asleep or not. She pinched herself. Except a slight sting later, she realised she was indeed awake.

"Angel?" she questioned.

"Buffy, hey!" Angel said.

"How - what - how? You're a vamp, how the hell -"

Angel silenced her as he held up his hand, allowing Buffy to see the large ring positioned on his finger. Buffy studied it for a moment.

"Nice. I think I saw that in a sale somewhere," she replied.

The corner of Angel's lips pulled upwards slightly. 'It's the Ring of Amara. Listen, that isn't the reason why I came to see you -'

"No," Buffy said, taking a retreating step backwards, "Oh no! This is _my _time. The only time I get to be normal until the sun goes down, I kick arse and ruin another pair of jeans."

She took another step back, shaking her in denial. Couldn't she get one moment to be normal? It was difficult enough trying to live her daily life without accidentally betraying the secret that at night she battled the forces of darkness and risked her life trying to save the small place of Sunnydale. Buffy was more than aware that if she let that secret slip, her whole life would be thrown upside down and the faint balance she had of a somewhat normal life would fail to be hers.

"I understand," Angel murmured.

"No! No, you don't understand. I'm seventeen for cryin' out loud and I can't even go to the fricken shop without vampires meeting me in the park for a cosy little chat,' Buffy fumed, allowing all her pent up frustration and exhaustion get the better of her.

Angel gave her sympathetic eyes as he observed her from under his fringe of thick black eyelashes. He agreed with her - she was so young, too young, to have all the pressure she had on her shoulders and more than anything did he want to relinquish that unbearable feeling. Yet he had come here to drop even more pressure on her, depending on her reaction to his request, and that thought kept him awake through the day.

"Can we just go get some coffee or something, please?" asked Angel quietly.

Buffy's arms were tightly folded across her chest, showing no signs of unravelling for the next several years, as her hazel eyes stared up at the vampire in complete fury. Her top teeth sunk into her plump red bottom lip, chewing it thoughtfully whilst her mind raced ahead, imagining countless scenarios of him leading her into an alley way and killing her without a moment of hesitation. Finally, she spoke.

"I need to get milk," she replied before stepping around him and continuing on her walk.

She heard his footsteps thud against the ground behind her, however she refused to even glance over her shoulder. Buffy slipped out of the gates, checked either side of the road, before crossing and heading straight into the corner shop without even bothering to check if he had followed her.

"Hey Buffy!" Riley greeted from behind the counter, rising to his feet as he welcomed her.

She offered him a quick smile, still stewing in the pot of irritation that Angel had overwhelmed her with. Buffy headed to the back of the shop where the milk was kept, listening to Riley's usual banter as he informed her of his Mother's wishes for him to get another job. She was aware that Riley wanted to become a policeman, although he had never mentioned an interest in fulfilling that dream. She began to reflect bitterly on how he was able to have a future and have different jobs, where as all she could see in her future was the morbid cemeteries and countless mystical creatures.

"Hey, are you alright? You seem a bit … out of it," said Riley.

"I'm peachy," replied Buffy as she grabbed a pack of biscuits before heading to the till.

Riley surveyed her with unbelieving eyes, though he didn't question her. He merely scanned her items and asked for half the amount of the original price.

"Riley, I can pay the full amount," she said as she scurried through her purse.

"I know," he smiled.

She handed over a ten dollar bill, collected her items in the usual brown paper bag, and received her change. With a very forced cheerful goodbye, she left the corner shop and stepped out into the flattering sunlight.

Scanning the street before her, she registered that Angel was nowhere to be seen. Buffy crossed over the road and wandered through the park, searching for him. However, as she reached the end of the park once again, she found that he was nowhere in sight. Buffy felt a straight squirm of guilt form in the pit of her stomach - he had saved her all those years ago and she was being so plainly rude to him. Buffy crossed the road and forced herself to push past the guilty thoughts and feelings. He was a vampire for crying out loud!

A few moments later, she was walking back up her street. As she reached the steps up to the entrance of her flat, Angel stepped out on her left hand side. Buffy gritted her teeth and spun around to face him.

"I'm sorry … for being a pain … but I really need to talk to you," frowned Angel, his brow furrowing.

"Fine," snapped Buffy.

She threw open the door to her block of flats and stormed inside, listening as her footsteps echoed off the walls on either side. As she reached midway up the stairs, it dawned on her that she hadn't heard his own footsteps colliding with the laminate floor behind her. Buffy turned to see him stood at the door, his hands gliding up and down the air as though he was stroking an invisible barrier between them.

"I need to be invited in," he said from his place by the door.

Her hazel eyes searched his brown ones for a moment. Should she invite him in, putting everyone in the flat in danger? But, no. Buffy couldn't believe for a second that he was dangerous, he held too much innocence and longing in his brown eyes. She took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment …

"I invite you in."

* * *

**Wow! Thank you so so so much for the reviews. I never expected this story to be greeted so warmly! I'm so thrilled you are all enjoying it! **

**My laptop is being a pain at the moment - my Word has messed up, leaving me with a really crap one … and now my laptop is making the most weirdest sound. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think! ;) **

**Thanks again for the reviews! x**


	4. The Order of the Darkness

Angel stood paralysed in the centre of the room, chomping down on his cold bottom lip as the surrounding scent of Buffy enclosed him, choking him. He could feel his thirst for blood growing heavier by the minute, though he was far too aware that he would merely be an uneven pile of dust piled up on the floor if he even tried to get his teeth close enough to her neck. Instead Angel continued to chew on his lip, reminding himself of the pigs blood that hung in his fridge at his current apartment.

His interested eyes searched her apartment. Angel drank everything in, trying to piece together details about her life that still remained a mystery to him. From what he could gather from his surroundings, she lived alone and had few, if none, friends. He knew this by the absence of any photographs that usually littered walls in people's houses, decorating their homes with a warmth of memories that would be forever concealed in one simple snap of a photo. However, just as his examination came to an end, a single photo frame stood out from its place on the television stand opposite her bed. Without even asking Buffy's permission, he glided across the room and bent down to scan the picture in more detail. Angel's vampire hearing allowed him to detect the quick intake of breath taken by Buffy which made him aware that this photograph, the only photograph in her possession it seemed, was extremely important to her.

The photo was of Buffy and her mother. Thanks to his satisfying memory, Angel was able to recall upon the time of when he first met Buffy as her five year old self. Unlike today's Buffy, the seventeen year old woman, she looked quite innocent and unaware of the horrors that reality hid behind its thin layer of lies. With her beautiful blonde locks held up high in two ponytails, clutching onto her mothers hand, as she grinned with glee … Angel couldn't help the faint smile that danced across his entranced face.

And then his eyes turned to Joyce.

She had been so oblivious to the fact that her life was coming to an end. So unaware to the fact that she would be parting from her daughter, leaving her all alone with no one to care for her. In all his centuries wandering upon the Earth, Angel had never been more distraught about a humans decease before. It touched him in ways he hadn't thought possible since his new existence as a vampire. For the first time in centuries, he felt a shed of humanity burning within him.

"It was taken a few weeks before her death," Buffy spoke up from behind him, sounding as though the words were causing her a lot of difficulty to speak out loud.

Angel merely nodded in response. He gently brushed his fingertips along the photo, across Joyce's face, before straightening up, turning his full attention back to the blonde. She stood watching him a few meters away, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she scrutinized him with watchful eyes. Angel could tell from her posture that she was keeping his every single movement under surveillance, making it evident that she lacked trust in him. He didn't blame her - it was his kind after all that had drunk away the life in her Mother. He gave her a relaxed smile.

"So, what's the hubbub bub? It's not everyday I get vampires wanting to get with the chatty," Buffy said.

She leant against the wall, her arms still tightly crossed, as she examined Angel under her thick fringe of eyelashes. From what she could tell so far, he hadn't lured her back here to put an end to her existence. That was a bonus. He was in fact the first vampire to ever set foot into her apartment and this thought scared her quite a bit. Buffy couldn't understand what had possessed her to invite this mystical creature into her home, what had stopped her from kicking his ass back into the ground where he belonged. Angel was like every other vampire she had had the misfortune to stumble upon. Except, as much as she tried to fool herself with that thought, even she knew that she was wrong. Angel wasn't like the others.

"I was there that day … you know, when that vampire-"

"Yeah, I remember," Buffy cut him off before he could dive any further into _that._

Angel gave a swift nod of his head. Noticing the emotion that now pooled up in her eyes, he looked away to recollect himself. Sometimes time didn't heal all wounds.

The silence between them was deafening. It clawed at them both, suffocating them with its intensity, as they stood there, unaware they were both reliving the same day through their minds. Sickness bubbled in Buffy's stomach as she scrunched her eyes shut, shaking her head from side to side in hope that she would be able to just discard the past like a piece of unwanted clothing.

"I was sent that day," Angel informed, breaking the silence.

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes searching him, waiting for him to continue. But he didn't.

"You were sent? What do you mean you were _sent_?" she asked.

Leaning up off the wall, her arms finally unravelled. On either side of her arms were deep marks where her fingernails had sunk into her flesh.

"To protect you. To save you from that vampire," he replied, allowing his eyes to meet hers.

Her hazel eyes turned into a whirlpool of questions. Her nose scrunched up slightly as she surveyed him, trying to get more information out of his words than he had given. Angel decided to put her out of her misery.

"The Angel of Destiny sent me."

Buffy's widened to the size of saucers as she stared at Angel in pure disbelief. She shook her head, directing her eyes away from Angel, and looked down at her shoes, fixating her eyes on them instead. Angel allowed her a moment to think before he interrupted her silence. Except she broke it before he had chance.

"So … what -"

"The Angel of Destiny knows every single creatures destiny. Sure your future might change, but you can't fight destiny," Angel interrupted, rubbing the smooth skin on the back of his neck for purely just something to do.

Buffy nodded her head slowly.

"So, this "Angel of Destiny" sent you that day to save me from that vampire?" she concluded, crossing her arms tightly once more.

Angel realised this and knew immediately that she was getting frustrated again. And he hadn't even gotten to the most frustrating part yet, he thought glumly.

"Yes," said Angel.

Another silence.

"I may not have centuries worth of knowledge here, and tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that means she saw something in my destiny that I needed to do before I could croak it," Buffy said bitterly.

She unravelled her arms and run her fingers through her hair, clutching a fistful of her blonde locks as she took a huge breath. She couldn't help but feel drained. Like suddenly everything in her life was coming too fast, hitting her head on. And, as strong as she physically was, Buffy knew that she wasn't stable enough to take it all on. The sudden smoothness of another hand on her own had her jumping forcefully out of her thoughts, flinching away from the kind gesture.

Angel bowed his head and took a step back.

"Will you be in the cemetery tonight?" he asked.

"Yes."

"We'll continue this discussion then," Angel mumbled, turning his back on her and heading for the door.

Buffy bit down on her lip as she slid to the floor with a thud. Dropping her head into her knees, she rocked herself back and forwards slightly.

The silence began to choke her.

* * *

_She lives in a fairytale, somewhere too far for us to find. _

_Forgotten the taste and smell of the world that she's left behind…_

Buffy turned off the radio, irritated.

The mere mention of the word "fairytale" had her cringing as though someone had vigorously shovelled a mixture of the world sourest sweets into her mouth. The word made a shiver run down her spine. It was usually a word that people associated with princesses and magic and wizards, however to Buffy she associated it with vampires, demons … her reality. Everything that made fairytales wonderful to young children, made it horrifying to her … because she knew that most of the enchanted creatures explored in fairytales did actually exist.

Discarding her decent looking clothes, she pulled out a pair of ripped black pants and a black tank top. These were usually the sort of clothes her patrolling consisted of. As soon as she was dressed, with a jacket thrown on and a pair of boots tied up, Buffy grabbed her wooden stake from her underwear drawer and headed towards the door.

Five minutes later, she breezed through the gates of the cemetery, her eyes searching for a vampire and one vampire only. Instantly she sensed him behind her, creeping up as quietly as he could, though she was still able to detect him. Buffy spun around to acknowledge Angel stood a few meters away from her.

"Hey," he greeted.

Buffy gave him a small nod in return.

No more words were spoken as Buffy spun on her heel and marched off further into the cemetery, her head held high. Angel merely followed, skulking behind her in the shadows. He had already patrolled around the cemetery before she had arrived and had been greeted with only the soft breeze and coldish chill that loomed in the streets of Sunnydale. However, he didn't want to interrupt her during her hunting, so he continued to stay silent.

The minutes passed slowly and painfully, no action had taken place since Buffy stepped through the gates. After realising she had wasted enough time trying to find anything to distract her from talking to Angel, she came to a halt with a loud sigh and spun on her heels to face him.

"Why did you need to save me then?" she questioned abruptly.

"It's rare for the Angel of Destiny to order someone else to intervene in situations, usually she completes the task herself-"

"So why did she send you?" Buffy said.

"I don't know," Angel replied unsurely, shrugging his shoulders.

Scanning around the empty cemetery, Buffy decided that her work was done. She looked up to find Angel already walking ahead of her, back towards the gates, as though he could read her mind. She gave a slightly angry huff before storming off after him.

"Can we just skip out all this crap and get to the important bit please. I want to know why I was saved," she demanded.

The two of them walked out of the cemetery, leaving the darkened gloom behind them, and turned to walk down the street, back towards Buffy's apartment.

"The vampire who … you know … well, he wasn't just any random vampire."

"You're saying he wasn't a vampire?" said Buffy, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, he was a vampire … but he was part of an assassination squad called The Order of the Darkness … who are a bunch of vampires who specialise in killing people," answered Angel, gritting his teeth.

Buffy's eyes searched Angel's face. He seemed aggravated by the mere thought of them. But somewhere, deep within his brown eyes, he looked lost, pained even. And the sudden overwhelming emotion of sympathy surprised Buffy herself. She didn't care for vampires, she wanted them dead.

"So this … this assassination squad … came for me?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, Buffy burst into hysterics. Her laughter echoed down the empty street, even rattling the stars high above in the night time sky. Her laughter took Angel by surprise. He cocked his head toward her, eyeing her in interest as she threw her head back and increased the volume of her laughter. Slowly she composed herself, dried her tearful eyes, and turned to him in amusement.

"Well that's great, like, really great. Freakin' five year old with a vampire assassination squad after her. You know, I could literally write this crap up and pass it off as some wonderful novel!" Buffy spat.

All traces of humour vanished from her face, fury taking no hesitation in replacing it. She shook her head before storming off down the street, stamping her feet on the pavement. Angel followed mutely, leaving her to blow off some steam, however just as he turned the corner to follow her, he found that she had waited for him in the darkness. Buffy still looked furious, her nostrils flaring with her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"I want you to go back to your crypt or your coffin … or whatever … and don't bother me again. I've had enough now - I don't want nothing to do with the supernatural from now on," Buffy told him.

Angel's lips parted slightly.

"No!" Buffy roared, shaking her head back and forth, "I don't care. I don't care … I just don't care no more."

And with that, she spun on her heel and darted off down the road, not once sparing a glance behind her.

"You do care," Angel whispered as he watched her figure disappear into the darkness.

* * *

**WOOOOOOO!**

**UPDATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :)**

**I am so so sorry it has taken me so long to update. My laptop broke and has only just been returned to me! So it was nice to come and write this straight away.**

**I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. And I hope I'm making it interesting enough.**

**Thank you so much for every single review, it means the world!**

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**Lots of love,**

**Beth x**


	5. Ghosts of the Past

Buffy rolled over in frustration, another irritated sigh breaking the early morning silence. She could feel the exhaustion, the need to go sleep, overwhelming her body and mind; however Angel's voice spoke clearly in her mind, repeating every word he had spoken to her about the Order of the Darkness.

"Stupid … crappy … vampire assassination group … thing," Buffy muttered, propping herself up on her elbows.

She ran her fingers through her hair, glancing over at the clock.

Five in the morning.

"Great."

She climbed out of bed, moaning and groaning as she made her way over to the kitchen. Having no energy to make herself a cup of coffee, she merely filled up a mug with water and gulped down that instead. She leant against the counter, clutching the mug lazily to her chest, and stared ahead.

The words "why me?" echoed in her mind as they had done countless times. She longed for normality and love and protection. From a tender age she had been thrust into this whole other world that was unknown to her and held nothing but danger and death. Waking up and wondering whether today could be your last day wasn't a typical thought on a seventeen year olds mind. There was so much that she had sacrificed for her responsibilities in the supernatural world, whether the loss had affected her or not, and it seemed unfair that she hadn't been rewarded for her effort. Slipping off the supernatural radar would be a dream come true, although she wouldn't rest until she felt she had avenged her Mother's death.

Preventing her usual emotional breakdown that occurred at the thought of her Mother, she placed her mug into the sink and headed back towards her bed. Before she could even reach the warmth of her bed, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Great, the vampires probably want me to do a home delivery service," muttered Buffy as she retrieved the stake from under her bed.

She crept towards the door, keeping her footsteps as quiet as she could muster, and gripped the door knob. Deciding that the element of surprise would probably be a more suitable approach to dusting this vampire in record time, she quickly threw open the door and raised the stake.

She was just about to put a stake through his chest when Angel grabbed her arm and angled it away from his lifeless heart. He didn't seem at all surprised at Buffy's greeting, though she assumed this wasn't the first time he'd almost got staked.

"Angel! What the hell –"

"I came to talk," he interrupted broodingly.

"What a surprise," Buffy mumbled.

She turned on her heel and headed towards her bed, motioning for him to follow her. Buffy heard him close the door behind him, even going to the extent of locking the door, and followed behind. She sat on her bed and looked up to find him hovering awkwardly near the window. She rolled her eyes, smirking slightly, and gave a little cough.

"You can sit down, I won't bite," Buffy smirked.

"You won't, but I might."

Buffy could hear the dry humor in his tone.

Angel hovered slightly towards the bed, looking torn between sitting and standing, before finally perching on the edge, putting enough distance between himself and Buffy. A smirk played on Buffy's lips, though she didn't comment for once. She wondered whether he feared her and the stake she was twirling between her fingers, though she doubted it.

"So what's up?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.

"The Order of Darkness," Angel replied instantly.

Buffy sighed. She was well aware that the subject wouldn't have been dropped like she had requested. Nonetheless, she decided to allow Angel to explain fully this time without her interrupting to vent her frustrated emotions and thoughts.

"The Master-"

"The who?" Buffy questioned, momentarily forgetting her decision to not interrupt.

"The Master, who is the leader of the Order, is one of the oldest vampires to walk this Earth," answered Angel.

Buffy nodded, readjusting herself into a more comfortable position.

"The Master wanted me as one of his top soldiers. I declined... Obviously … and regrettably told him that I'd rather die than join his army…"

Angel suddenly rose from his seat and returned to his hovering spot beside the window.

"My family paid the price for that foolish mistakes," he said, directing his gaze down to his feet. "He had them all killed, every single one of them, even though they were vampires."

He paused, wincing slightly. He faced fully away from Buffy, his head still slanting towards the floor.

"I didn't even know whose dust it was that blew out of the door when I came home," Angel whispered brokenly.

Buffy, who had been surprisingly fighting back tears, slowly realized how much she and Angel had in common, even though she would have detested the thought of comparing herself to a vampire a few weeks previously. They had both lost their families and they were both trapped in a world where they didn't want to belong. For the first time in her life, Buffy actually pitied a vampire.

"I knew I had to leave, to run, and I've been running ever since. A few months after the murders, I was visited by two very beautiful witches. They had power I had never witnessed before, it was amazing," Angel recalled in awe.

"What did they want?"

Angel's story had entranced Buffy, who was now sat on the edge of her bed with a fascinated shine burning in her emerald eyes.

"I had been a slave to the shadows until that night. It was then that they gave me my ring. They told me how a higher power had asked them to create the ring as I'd find it extremely useful in the future. They were also ordered to bless the ring to prevent The Master from tracking me."

Buffy nodded, allowing all her brain to absorb all this information like a sponge. She began to piece together the story in her head, retelling it over again to clarify a few loose ends.

"Who was this 'higher power' that asked them to create the ring?" Buffy inquired.

"I'm not entirely sure," Angel said, returning to his position on the edge of the bed. "Though I do have an idea."

The two fell into a comfortable silence. It was odd how content Buffy felt around Angel now. She felt as if she could relate to him and think of him as a human instead of just a blood-sucking vampire. She smiled slightly when the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" ran through her mind in a voice that sounded quite like her Mother's.

"The whole human race depends on you," Angel suddenly said, shattering the peaceful silence.

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "Yeah? How so?"

"Because if you don't complete your destiny and kill The Master, he will start ordering his army to bite instead of drain."

"Which is bad because…"

"Because then his victim won't die, they'll be turned into one of me. Each human life lost is a vampire soldier born," replied Angel in a horrified tone.

Another silence grew between them.

"So no pressure then?" muttered Buffy.

Angel bounced up off the bed, facing her with a serious expression. "This isn't a joke, Buffy," he snapped.

Feeling as though she needed to defend herself, Buffy also threw herself off the bed and faced Angel angrily, her hands slowly curling into fists.

"You're right! And you know why? Because it's my life! I don't have to do this, I can just ignore everything you just told me and go back to my usual routine!" Buffy snarled back, her voice steadily increasing in volume.

Impatience flashed in Angel's dark eyes. "You can't. You won't be able to run from this."

"Well, watch me!" Buffy retorted, throwing her arms up wildly in the air.

Angel took a few steps backwards, putting distance between Buffy and himself, whilst trying to calm down before his temper got completely out of control.

"You can't run from The Master," he stated simply.

"I can try!" Buffy folded her arms stubbornly.

"Trust me, you can't… everyone you have ever loved… every friend, every family member, anyone who has ever touched your heart … will end up dead."

"Well it's too late for that! They're all dead anyway," Buffy hissed bitterly.

"Then you'll die instead."

* * *

**I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A YEAR! I was so shocked. **

**But I've updated and, even though it's small-ish, I hope you enjoy it! I will be putting all my effort into this story now and developing it as it is probably one of my most creative pieces so far.**

**Please review!**

**Lots of love and happy reading! xxxx**


	6. Life in a Suitcase

"Maybe I'd be better off dead," Buffy whispered.

She returned to her seat on the bed, her fingers intertwined and resting on her lap to prevent her from fidgeting. The concept of death had often brought her peace. Even though the majority of people feared the end of their lives, Buffy welcomed it as she thought of it as an escape from the overpowering responsibilities that life held for her.

Angel glanced at her pitifully. "Why do you say that?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Buffy averted her gaze to the photograph that stood firmly on top of her television.

"You want to be re-united with your Mother?"

She nodded softly.

Silence fell upon the two, leaving them to dwell in their own thoughts as the seconds ticked by. The sun was slowly rising, though neither Buffy nor Angel acknowledged this. It wasn't until Buffy's stomach growled hungrily for food that the silence was finally broken by Angel's amused laughter. It wasn't long before Buffy began to giggle lightly herself.

As his laughter slowly died down, he took Buffy's hand and heaved her up from the bed.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"I'm taking you to breakfast," Angel smirked.

Buffy's mouth open and closed then opened again, reminding Angel slightly of a goldfish. There seemed to be a hint of panic in her eyes, much to Angel's confusion, and her mouth remained agape for some time.

Eventually she asked "Can vampires even eat?" to which Angel chuckled at as he steered her out of the room by her elbow. As they descended the stairs, Buffy found that her blossoming friendship with Angel was something she could have never predicted. She had always classed creatures like him as the enemy, the one that needed to be destroyed, so becoming friends with a vampire had never been on her agenda, let alone teaming up with one to save the human race. Buffy smirked as she wondered if there would be a movie based on her life one day.

"It was a couple of months ago," Angel said, breaking the comfortable silence between them, "when I was requested to find you and inform you about everything I know."

"Why now though? Why, after twelve years, was now the right time to let me in on this?" Buffy questioned as her brows furrowed.

"I don't know anything solid; however there have been various rumours in the supernatural world that has caused some alarm."

"Rumours?"

"Apparently The Master is attempting to break the Curse of the Sun-"

"Hang on... there is a curse on the sun?" Confusion washing over Buffy's face.

"No. If the Curse of the Sun was broken, it would allow all vampires to walk in the sunlight-"

"Like your ring does?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. The Master is also supposed to be, with the help of a powerful dark warlock, trying to conjure up the power of Osiris. He wants to be able to control life and death, to have power over who dies and who doesn't," Angel answered, rolling his eyes.

"You don't seem really bothered about that."

"Because he can't. There is already an Angel of Death and only one thing would ever be able to vanquish the Angel of Death," Angel informed, opening the door of the little cafe and allowing Buffy through.

"Which would be what...?"

"The end of time and space."

The two took a seat at a table tucked away in the corner of the cafe, allowing them to talk freely without being fearful of someone overhearing. The conversation was put on hold as they gave their orders to a tired looking woman, who looked as if she could use a few coffees herself, and waited until their beverages and food had arrived to continue.

"This little adventure sounds like a lot of work," Buffy stated, shovelling bacon into her mouth.

"It's no picnic," agreed Angel.

Buffy watched in fascination as Angel ate his food. Angel must have noticed her gawking at him as he swallowed and answered her questioning eyes.

"I can eat but it doesn't make a difference... the only thing that could ever satisfy my hunger is blood," he explained.

"Lovely," commented Buffy, devouring the rest of her breakfast.

When their plates were cleared, they left the small cafe and returned to Buffy's flat. They walked in silence along the bustling roads, both preoccupied with their own thoughts to even contemplate starting up a conversation. Buffy was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she was about to embark on her most dangerous journey yet. She realised that she would have to pack up her belongings when she arrived home – who knows when she'd next return to the unflattering place that she had called home for many years. She was surprised when the thought of leaving saddened her.

"How are we going to find The Master?" she questioned as they arrived at her apartment.

"He changes his location often; we'll have to get some help from some supernatural beings."

"Which means we'll being living out of a suitcase and in motels for god knows how long."

Angel nodded. He knew she wouldn't be impressed with having to constantly change locations, moving from motel to motel, and living out of her suitcase, leaving behind the familiar lifestyle she had led for so long, but he'd be lying if he told her that this would be a glamorous experience. Angel knew that this could possibly end with their deaths... but he wasn't going to voice his pessimistic expectations aloud.

"I've always wanted to travel," laughed Buffy, pulling a suitcase out from under her bed.

Angel smiled. He admired the fact that she always seemed to find humour in a situation instead of dwelling on the negative side. Often he wondered whether the death of her Mother had been the cause behind her strong character, if the loss had provided the motivation she needed to go on with life and fighting against evil, but then he'd look into her eyes and realise she was just a natural fighter.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Angel replied, a smile playing on his lips.

Buffy cocked her eyebrow, staring at him uncertainly. "Honestly, don't let my politeness fool you... Just because I have been brought up with manners doesn't mean I won't kill you in your sleep."

Angel shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

"I'm joking," added Buffy, snorting in amusement at Angel's reaction.

She had detested vampires since she could remember, even to the point where she had made it her responsibility to rid the world of the evil creatures, but yet here she was with one, laughing and joking like it was as natural as breathing. Buffy didn't understand what had changed, though she decided to shrug it off for the time being.

Slowly she began to pack her suitcase. Deciding to only pack various items of clothing, she left her fancier clothes to one side, aware that they would be useless for where she was heading. When her suitcase was reasonably full, she turned her attention to other necessities. Her toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner were thrown into a plastic bag, followed by her brush and hair dryer. As she bustled around her apartment, throwing bits and bobs into the plastic bag, Angel watched from his position in the corner.

"You'll have to carry this to the car, wait... do you even own a car?" Buffy questioned, realising she had only ever seen Angel on foot.

Angel smirked. "Of course, did you expect me to turn into a bat and fly around?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Sorry to disappoint. But I do have a car, I just prefer walking," informed Angel.

"Weirdo," muttered Buffy.

Finally, almost an hour later, she had managed to pack everything she deemed as important. She decided to leave everything else behind, hoping that eventually someone would throw it out or give it away. As she looked around her apartment, a tiny part of her didn't want to leave. She didn't know if she'd ever see this place again, if she'd even come back to her hometown, because nothing about the supernatural was predictable. A wave of nausea hit her strongly in the stomach as she wondered if she'd even survive this. Surely she was strong enough to kill one power hungry vampire, wasn't she?

"Are you ready to go?" Angel asked, softly.

Buffy hesitated for a moment, considering his question in depth. Was she ready? Then she thought about her Mother – she was lying dead in a coffin, buried beneath the ground, forever. Her fists curled by her side, anger washing over her in waves. She _had _to do this, whether she was scared or not, because she owed it to her Mother to kill the monster who had drank the life out of her. Buffy would make her proud.

"I'm ready."

* * *

**AN UPDATE! FINALLY! **

**I'm so sorry it has taken so long! Forgive me. **

**I hope you haven't lost interest or hope in this story! Please, please, review to keep it alive!**

**Xoxox.**


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